The present invention relates to a nozzle or tuyere bottom structure, in particular for a converter of the type including tubular decarburization or refining nozzles extending in an inclined manner through the bottom plate and refractory bottom lining of the converter bottom.
When the bottom lining is formed as a walled-up nozzle bottom, e.g., as shown in German DT-OS 2,321,909, the nozzles are surrounded in a spaced manner by bricks set with mortar, and the gaps thus formed between the nozzles and the bricks are filled with refractory material. This produces a bottom lining structure wherein the filled refractory material forms weak points with respect to the action and effect of the melt, especially when the filled refractory material is irregularly compressed during the tamping thereof. The filled refractory material thus wears much more rapidly then the bottom bricks. This wear may gradually erode the adjacent bottom bricks and bring about a premature failure of the decarburization nozzles. Furthermore, the necessary tamping of the refractory material filled into the gaps formed during the walling-up of the converter bottom is a very expensive and complex operation.